Let It Burn
by paranoidchild
Summary: Sometimes you cannot control your life; you just have to let it burn. DMHG
1. Prologue

****

Let It Burn: Prologue

If I could tell you how I got to this point in my life, I would. I honestly can say I do not know. The past year has gone by in a painful blur; everything colliding together in a jumble of emotions and confusion. Before everything started spiraling dangerously out of control, I was a normal sixteen year-old girl, except that I'm a witch. 

So how did I end up in a hollowed out old house, a small woolen blanket wrapped around my body, as I write this? Once again, I don't know. Physically, yes, I do know how I got here. My husband, whom I barely know and don't love, brought me to this place in order to protect me from _him_. Mentally, though, I have no knowledge of how everything in my life has changed so much over the mere 10 months that have passed.

As I sit here, now seventeen years of age, I keep pulling the moth-eaten blanket tighter around my body. A tiny fire flows from the fireplace in the corner of the dusty room, but I'm still cold. Inside and out. 

I'm tired. My body is tired, my mind, my soul; they are all so tired... Tired of being hurt, tired of being afraid and of being vulnerable. Tired of being confused, angry, and sad. I guess you could say I am tired of living, but still want to live. There is very little of my true self left in this empty shell of a body. I've been stripped of any type of pride I had earned over the past seven years. I have no true friends. My parents, basically my only family, don't remember a single thing about me anymore, thanks to the vile piece of filth that has controlled me for so long. It would seem to any sane person that I've lost everything.

But I haven't, and I refuse to believe it. The one thing, the one person, that kept me going and still does, is my only reason to try to dig myself out of this deep and dark hole that was built out of my despair, failures, and vulnerability. 

The past year has been a blurry one, but I can remember the few times I laughed. It sometimes seems like I had forgotten how to laugh again. I have nothing to really laugh about; everything is a matter of life or death. All but a small amount of smiles were forced and the laughs were hollow and empty. For the first time in all my seventeen years of living, I cried more than I smiled that year.

Its nine o' clock at night. I'm not quite sure where the hell I am. I could be on the other side of the world or I could be five minutes from my old home. I didn't ask questions. I had stopped a long time ago when it became obvious that I wouldn't get any answers. I have no clue where he's taken me or where he is. I also don't know how long I'm going to have to stay here. No matter how numb and broken I feel, I still would rather be anywhere but in this place.

Well... almost anywhere. 

I'm writing this as an explanation to everyone who used to or possibly still does care about me. You all deserve to know the truth as to why I pushed you away. I had to in order to "keep those I loved safe". But now I learned that he told me that as a sick and horrible joke to torment me and ruin what parts of my life I still had after the smoke cleared. I feel stupid for believing that bastard, but I guess my fear for him towered over my judgement. I mean, come on, he was the darkest wizard ever to exist - I don't think anyone, even my husband, wasn't afraid of him.

So, here starts the dark and twisted story of Hermione Granger-Malfoy; the girl whose life became a roller coaster because she was Harry Potter's Muggle-born girlfriend. Life sure is funny.


	2. Ch 1 Before The Dawn

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Chapter One: Before The Dawn

Hermione's head rest against the cool stone of the wall behind her. Her legs were pulled up to her body as far as they could go; trying to keep her warm in the cold cell-like room. There were no windows, only a heavy wooden door on rusty hinges. That door hadn't opened in over a week, or at least it seemed like a week. Food magically appeared in the center of the room at random hours of the day, and usually it wasn't much. A small lantern swung from the ceiling in the corner closest to the door, causing an annoying creak that she had long since become used to. The light in it had yet to go out; its eerie orange glow reflecting against her pale skin. 

She closed her eyes and tried to remember how the sun and the clean air felt a month ago, back when she was laughing with her friends. Back when she was happy and smiling when they were around her. Hermione also missed her family. Being away at school was one thing, but being informed that her parents' memory of her had been erased was another. She felt tears press against her closed and bruised eyelids. Even after not having to endure the usual torture, physical and magical, the cuts and bruises had yet to fade. And those were only the ones that could be seen. There was little left that Voldemort had not taken from her. She urged the tears back and laid her head on the hard ground, her body in a fetal position, and escaped to the only place where she could feel the warmth of her memories: her dreams.

*.*

"Have you discussed this with my father?" Draco asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. This had to be the most insane plan the Dark Lord had ever thought of. It would most likely backfire and he could hardly understand what executing it would achieve in the long run. 

"Lucius will be informed of the proceedings once Wormtail returns with Potter and Weasley," he said with a twisted smile. The blonde boy curled his upper lip in disgust. 

"May I ask why _they_, of all people, are being brought here? I thought only Granger was needed," he asked, even though he knew in the back of his mind that Voldemort obviously wanted to see the two idiots squirm and cause Hermione even more discomfort in the whole situation.

But the wizard could not answer the boy's question, for at that moment Wormtail poked his small head in the study door. 

"F-Forgive me mas-master, but Weasley and Potter had just been escorted to their cells," the man stammered. "They are still unconscious. What sh-shall be done with them n-now?"

Voldemort paused before answering. "Nothing... for the time being, my servant. I have just informed young Draco of his newest task and I want Potter and Weasley to witness the unveiling of it."

Draco would've sworn that the Animagus had smirked, but the study was dark, the only light coming from the fire, and he wasn't sure. He left.

"In half an hour," the Dark Lord began. "You will go to the Mudblood's cell and _vaguely_ explain her options. I am most certain which she will choose, and Wormtail will be telling Potter and Weasley about the proceedings. The Ceremony will take place tomorrow at dawn. Afterwards, your father will have been informed and he will decide what you will do with her. Am I understood?"

He nodded, his eyes focused on the fire. "Yes, Master."

*.* 

Hermione gasped and awoke with a start, her head jerking up at the sudden realization of her surroundings. She accidentally slammed her head against the stone wall in her wake and moaned in pain. Cradling her pounding head in her arms, she remembered the dream, no - the nightmare, she had. It wasn't the first time she'd had it, in fact she'd had it months before being brought here. Even then she didn't know what it meant, and she still didn't, but it scared the hell out of her. Mainly because all she could remember was the excruciating pain that did not come from a wand nor a first. She didn't know what it was, but every time she had the dream, the intensity of the agony increased. It was unexplainable. 

The creaking of the door opening brought her out of her thoughts. She looked up and painfully squinted through the dim light to see who had entered.

Suddenly, the sore throb in her head was a distant memory as her eyes widened at the figure standing in the doorway. 

*.*

He watched as she lifted her eyes to him. The brown orbs were filled with despair and dread when she looked at him. Even in the hazy light of the room, Draco could see the fading bruises on her face and arms. There was a particularly nasty-looking cut on her forehead that was bleeding. He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to the chase.

"Why don't you just kill me and get it over with?"

Draco was slightly surprised by her question. Sure, she would've probably thought that killing her was the reason for kidnapping her in the first place, but after a month with almost nothing happening? 

"No one's going to kill you, Granger. At least... not yet," he said, slightly enjoying seeing her tense up. "You are one of the key elements in the Dark Lord's latest plan, as am I."

"What the bloody hell does he want with me?" she asked, her voice scratchy from the sudden use of it. He took a deep breath and began to explain.

"For a reason that you won't be told right now, he needs the both of us for his plan to work. Somehow, he needed for a Mudblood and a Pureblood to complete a list of certain... 'tasks'. Together. Once the list is completed, the result, when used properly, will create something beyond even Potter's wildest imagination."

Her eyebrow rose and she suddenly felt sick to her stomach. She swallowed. 

"And he needs me? Why me?!"

Draco laughed and knelt down on the dirt floor in front of her. Placing a finger under her chin, he smirked.

"Because you're his favorite Mudblood."

*.*

"Aaaargh!"

A strangled, angry cry awoke Harry from his unconscious state(?). He tried to sit up, which only resulted in making him dizzy. Groaning, he looked around and saw Ron clutching his arm, which was bleeding profusely. He also saw that they were in a musty, very dirty, cell.

Harry suddenly panicked as the memories of earlier hours came flooding back to him in an uncomfortable rush. 

"Ron... where the hell are we?" he asked, his dizzy spell starting to pass. His best friend looked up from his arm and scowled.

"I don't know, but there's this weird-looking bug flying around that just bit me!" he said, gesturing to his arm. The green-eyed boy stood up and walked around, trying to regain the feeling in his legs that had fallen asleep. He saw the bug Ron had mentioned crouched up in a corner of the ceiling. It was bright purplish green thing that looked like a cross between a horsefly and a cockroach with sharp teeth poking out of its tiny mouth. It seemed to be closely watching the both of them... a watch-fly roach? He would've laughed if their situation wasn't so serious. Harry walked over to the door. It had no knob.

"That bug thing attacked me when I was walking around... I'd get back over here if I were you," Ron stated from behind him. "Where do you think we are?"

He shrugged. "Do you remember anything?"

The redhead thought for a moment. He and Harry were at the Burrow, he was staying there for the summer instead of staying with his aunt and uncle. The two of them, Ginny, Fred, and George had all been outside. What had they been doing?

"Not really... weren't we outside?"

"Yeah, with your sister and Fred and George. We were de-gnoming the garden for your mum."

Ron scrunched up his nose at the memory. He _hated_ doing that. 

"Then Ginny got in trouble or something... you remember her calling us over?" Harry asked. He did, but after that he couldn't remember anything up until he woke up.

"Yes... but barely," Ron said. He sighed and wiped some of the blood off his arm. "Ugh... there's some pus shit coming out of the cut... this is so gross. Stupid-arse bug..."

The knob-less door suddenly opened; revealing a small man in shabby black robes. Harry gasped when he realized who it was.

"Wormtail! What the–" he began, but was cut off when the wizard thrust out his wand and opened his mouth.

"_Petrificus totalus!_"

Harry froze immediately as the binding spell took hold of his body. His arms snapped to his sides and he fell over on his left side onto the hard dirt floor. The other boy panicked and tried to quickly stand up, but Wormtail was too quick. He repeated the spell and Ron fell onto his back a couple feet from his best friend.

"Now that we're a little more comfortable.." the Animagus said, smirking slightly as he placed his wand back in his robes. Harry tried not to think of the uncomfortable way his body was lying and instead on the man standing in front of him. 

"You both are probably wondering why you are here... or wherever here is, for that matter. A few hours ago, I took the form of Mr. Weasley's darling little sister through the Polyjuice Potion in order to lure you away from your poor excuse for a home," he began. Ron's eyes widened in rage. "But don't worry, your sister should have regained consciousness by now. And who knows, maybe they've noticed that you've disappeared."

But the reason you've been brought here is because the Dark Lord wishes for Potter and his sidekick to witness the marriage of a certain close friend of yours. He figured you'd be... interested in the matter, even if you have yet to actually realize that she's gone missing."

*.*

"What makes _me_ his favorite?!" Hermione asked angrily. She didn't want to be involved in any way with this so-called "list". First of all, anything that was a list of Voldemort's was dangerous. And just the vague definition that Malfoy gave was already starting to scare her.

"Because you are Harry fucking Potter's girlfriend. And _that_ my dear Mudblood, is why you're being used for the Dark Lord's plan. And you don't have a say in the matter."

She was filled with a sudden anger and hatred for the boy in standing in front of her. Who was he to tell her what she could and could not do?

"And what the hell is keeping me from having a say in this... matter?" she asked, her teeth clenched tightly.

Draco reached into his robes and brought out his wand; 11 inches, made of unicorn hair with his birth date carved into the rich ebony wood, at the request of his mother. He held the wand out in front of him, so that even in the dim light of the cell, Hermione could see it clearly.

"Two words and an _unforgivable_ stream of red light. That's what is keeping you, and will keep you, from having a say in this matter," the blonde boy said slowly, his voice kept dangerously low.

Her eyes dropped to the ground. Two weeks ago, she probably would have chose this list over death, but now she wasn't so sure. Her parents didn't remember her, she was starved, dehydrated, and beaten (usually) on a regular basis, and the witch didn't even know if her friends had recognized that she had stopped replying to their letters.

Almost as if reading her mind, Draco broke the contemplative silence surrounding her.

"Potty and the Weasel are here."

Her head popped up.

"What?"

"Potter and Weasley are here, if it makes your decision any easier," he said nonchalantly; his arms crossed over his chest impatiently.

Hermione's eyes widened considerably. Her two best friends were here? Had they tried to rescue her? She couldn't see how they would have any idea where she was... unless they cast a Locator spell. But they'd need her wand to be on her body if they wanted to be led directly to her. This would have been impossible to accomplish – her wand was still at her house with all her other things... or at least she thought they were. The girl had been asleep when a group of Death Eaters, including Wormtail himself, surrounded her bed. One spell and a couple hours later, she woke up in a damp, cold cell; very scared and very confused.

And now, a month later, she was being given a choice basically between life and death. Hell, she didn't even know if she was going to live either way. What was there to lose?

"Fine. I'll do it."

Draco smirked. He expected this, especially after he told her that her friends were here. He could see her answer when he saw her empty brown eyes fill with hope that had been long lost for weeks. But would her answer remain the same after he told her the first "assignment" on the list?

"Good. Now that we have the first half of your cooperation..."

"Wait – first half? What are you talking about?" 

"You said you'd help, that's the first half of the initiation of the plan. The second half is you agreeing to something that you'd be... less than willing to do," he explained, starting to get annoyed with her questions. 

Her eyebrow rose. "Which would be...?"

"You marrying me."

*.*

Harry couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it. This had to be a dream. A very bad dream. How could this happen? He looked over at his best friend who was sitting in a corner; his head in his hands. Wormtail had kept them bound up until right before he left, which had been fifteen minutes ago. He just explained the bare minimums; that they were there to watch the ceremony and then be sent back to the Burrow, assured that the consequences of them telling anyone of the recent events would be far worse than death. They believed him. Not a word had been spoken between the two since the door closed behind him. They had nothing to say. There were no words to express the realization and shock of Hermione's kidnapping and future marriage to a Death Eater. 

Voldemort's servant had never said who it was, just that she was being forced to marry one. It was safe to say that this man was thirty years older than her and a complete lunatic. A small smile cracked the thin line of his lips at the thought of his girlfriend's face if she saw a man like that and was ordered to marry him. But the smile quickly vanished has be remembered that Hermione was not his girlfriend anymore.

This time tomorrow, she would be someone else's; no matter how much she didn't want to be.


End file.
